


Isobel on Air

by flippyspoon



Series: Modern and Interesting: Drabbles and Ficlets [19]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-25
Updated: 2014-08-25
Packaged: 2018-02-14 15:01:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2196234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flippyspoon/pseuds/flippyspoon





	Isobel on Air

Isobel Crawley had woken up in a dark mood, but after tea and an hour with little George in the sunshine, her spirits were lifted.  At eleven o’clock, clouds rolled in and it begin to drizzle.  The footman (Jamie? Isobel could never remember.  No, James, surely.) ran inside for umbrellas because George still wanted to play in the dampening grass, delighted by the oncoming storm.  Likewise, Isobel would not be moved, only chuckling with delight as she sought shelter beneath a cherry tree.

"Grandmama, look!"  George pointed at Isis, who had lifted her fine head, her eyes closed awkwardly as she licked at raindrops. 

"She likes the rain, doesn’t she?"  Mrs. Crawley chirped.  "Haha!"

How like George, the boy looked.  She had found a place within her to enjoy that, though it was fragile.  If she thought on it too much, it brought her down again.

"Ma’am," the footman muttered, as he appeared, holding an umbrella over her head.

"Thank you, James."  He gave her no funny looks so she supposed she’d got the name right anyhow. 

"Oughtn’t we go in?" James suggested, looking hopeful.  The umbrella was small and did not fit over the two of them.  Soon enough he would be drenched. 

"Yes, of course," Isobel said with a sigh.  "He’ll catch cold.  George, we must go in!"

"Oh noooo!"  George had found a muddy spot and he stomped in it.

"Yes, dear!"  Isobel countered.  "Don’t you want to play with Sybbie?  Nanny’s reading stories!"

"Will you come?"  George said, pleading.  And he looked up at her with eyes so like Matthew’s that Isobel absentmindedly clutched at the footman’s wrist as she swallowed.  He cast her a puzzled expression.

"Yes, dear.  Come, Georgie…"

George clomped over to the two of them. His boots were now muddy and wet and he’d have to change clothes inside.  He tugged at the footman’s trousers.  “Up, please!”

"Augh…  Very well."  The footman grimaced and Isobel took the umbrella from him as he squatted to let George climb into his arms.  James stood, stumbling for a moment and stepped back into a puddle, but he managed to find his footing.

"You two could be brothers," Isobel said, as they made their way to the house, Isis following.

"Yes, ma’am," James said.

"Jimmy’s my favorite," George said.  His little legs were wrapped around James’ waist, his dirtied boots locked at the back and ruining the footman’s livery.  "He can take coins from my ear!"

"Can he?" Isobel said.  "How marvelous!"

She noted with some amusement, that James did not look so pleased at being the favorite.  Not at present anyhow with mud all over his clothes.

Now George said very gravely, “Will you show her the goblin face, Jimmy?”

"The goblin face!" Isobel did laugh at that.  "Sounds quite frightening."

"It’s my favorite of all silly faces," George said.  "Only Jimmy can do it.  But I’m not allowed to tell Barrow ‘cause-"

"Alright, Master George," Jimmy said quickly.

Now Isobel was rather intrigued, though she suspected the reason for a goblin face being hid from Barrow the Dour Faced Under-butler must have something to do with some servants’ politics.  She knew little of that world, though it appeared to be a lot of people with little power over their lives grappling for a scrap or two of control. 

At the entrance to the library, as they wiped their feet, Barrow himself appeared and eyed James up and down while Isobel was half hid by the door.  “You’ve been having fun, haven’t ya?”

She saw James duck his head and grin.  “Just fine, Mr. Barrow.”

"We’ll get you sorted out," Barrow said.  He looked all too pleased and then briefly caught out when he finally noticed Mrs. Crawley, and took the umbrella.

Isis barked, tail wagging, as they all made their way through the library and Isobel thought with sudden perfect clarity:  _Oh my, they’re quite in love._   She thought now of gazes held between them two of them that she noticed at dinners when her mind wandered.  And there had been a dust-up nearly turning to scandal involving the two of them some time ago, though she’d never learned the details.

It was as surprising as it was not unheard of.  But Isobel was intrigued and watched as the two continued to trade little secret glances and smiles with each other to the stairs to deliver George at the nursery and discover whether luncheon would be delayed because Mary and Tom weren’t back from their rounds of the estate yet.

"I hope you’re having a lovely morning, ma’am," Barrow said.  It had not taken long from her first visit to Downton, to see that there was something a little slithery about Barrow.  Yet now his question sounded nothing but genuine and he smiled easily.

 _Very much in love_ , Isobel decided. 

"Oof!"  James grunted as he made his way up the stairs, still carrying George, and Isobel saw Barrow cover his smile with that war wounded hand of his.

"A particularly lovely morning, Barrow," Mrs. Crawley said, and very light, as if the love between the two men were also carrying her along.  "An extraordinary morning."

 

 


End file.
